Railroad-rail and conduit for electric wires



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

JAMES T. NULTY, OF PHILADELPHIA, ASSIGNOB OF FIVE-EIGHTHS TO JOSEPHMESSIOK AND THOMAS J. ORUMBIE, OF CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD-RAIL AND CONDUIT FOR ELECTRIC WIRES, 84.0.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 372,273, dated October25, 1887.

Application tiled February 8, 1887. Serial No. 226,926. (No 1110(121.) I

' To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J AMES T. NULTY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, (Frankford,) in the county of Philadelphia,State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inRailroadRails and Conduits, which improvement is fully set forth in thefollowing specification and accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1and 2 are vertical sections of railroad-rails and conduits embodying myinvention.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in bothfigures.

Myinvention relates toimprovenients in com bined railroads and conduits;and it consists of means, hereinafter fully described and claimed,whereby T-shaped rails are ultilized as and for the purpose set forth.

Referring to the drawings, A B represent two railroad-rails, eachconstructed of a head, Web, and base. The face of the head of the rail Ais formed with a shoulder, O, and a flat portion, D, on the top of thehead, aside of said shoulder. The face of the head of the rail B isflat, as at E, coincident with the portion D of the rail A, whereby whenthe rails are placed side by side, as in Fig. 1, the flat portions D Eof the two rails are continuous of each other, and form a broad surfaceon which wheels of wagons and other vehicles may readily run, it

being noticed that the rails are more especially designed for street-carpurposes.

In Fig. 2 the height of the rail B is such that the flat portion E iscoincident with the highest part of the face of the rail A, it beingnoticed that the rails A Bin said Fig. 2 are transposed from theposition shown in Fig. 1.

The contiguous portions of the heads of the rails are shouldered,respectively, as at F-G, in reverse direction, said shoulders beingadapted to engage or interlock, leaving the contiguous parts flush,whereby the two rails may be united when placed side by side. In thisposition of the rails a conduit, H, is formed, the walls of the samebeing composed of the heads, webs, and'bases of the rails.

The conduit is adapted to receive electric wires, and may be used forcontaining gas,

water, and other pipes, it being found conveng ient for the purposeintended, as it is readily accessible near the surface of the street orroad,

properly rolling the rails.

The conduit is accessible without tearing up the street or road otherthan is necessary to remove either rail, and, as. shown, it may beduplicated or multiplied by the use of additional rails. (See Fig. 2.)

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the rail A, having the shoulder O and the flatface D, and the rail B, with the flat face E, all substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the rails A and B, having their heads formed withinterlocking shoulders F G, whereby a conduit is formed of said rails,substantially as described.

3. A combined railroad and conduit, consisting of the rail A, having theshoulders O and F and fiat face D, and the rail B, with interlockingshoulders G and flat face E, all sub stantially as described.

JAMES T. NULTY.

Witnesses:

W. O. PENNELL, THOMAS J. CRUMBIO.

